May 29, 2004

• Thanks for the posts so far.  Dara, good point about taking a step back about Michael Moore.  I’ve actually been intending to acknowledge that his negativity isn’t role modeling behavior either.  Recently, Kerry began attacking Bush’s policies in Iraq, but that naturally got thrown back at him, since his stance on most issues is apparently similar to Bush’s. 

  
  

  I have this philosohpy that people should not criticize others, but promote their own ideas.  I realize, I do criticize college a lot, but I always try to recognize that the people who run schools are most likely good people.  I just believe the product of their work isn’t the best for our nation’s young adults.  And, I go ahead and propose my ideas, rather than just bashing others.  Who is John Kerry, except for the alternative to Bush?  That’s a great question.  My response to that, is John Kerry is a person who has not upset the rest of the world through words and actions, while George W. Bush has.  It appears Kerry is taking the stance that he wants to restore America’s appearance around the world, and to me, as a person who has spent the last 6 months abroad in Africa, that’s become an important issue to me.  It would be nice if the election was one of Kerry vs. Bush, instead of Bush, vs. No-Bush.  However, the no-bush vote isn’t merely a judgement on Bush, it is supporting something.  It is supporting liberal policies, even if they aren’t the policies that Kerry will bring about.  Voting no-Bush, even if Kerry isn’t much better, is still a vote that we want to take care of the environment, the homeless, the unemployed, the uneducated, the elderly, and re-gain our respect around the world.  Although Michael Moore’s 100% anti-Bush tone merely encourages judgement, I believe, as a marketing tool, that’s what Americans respond to, and therefor, it is necessary.  Perhaps, once Bush is out of office, Moore will ease off the Republicans, and he most likely will turn his fury to the Democrats.  In that respect, he is no being judgemental on partisan lines, or, he is not just promoting anti-Bush because it’s the cool thing to do, he’s promoting the fierce questioning of all who are in charge, something that the media does not do with as much tenacity as Moore.

  
  

  In politics, we’ve come to deal with people not really being people.  Most of us have never met a politician, so we throw around this heavy language of hatred towards politicians.  Until politicians begin to sound like people, and acknowledge their imperfections, we may continue to see the unfortunate products of uncontrolled criticism.

  
  

  Topic: For my effort to change college education, I try to make my criticism controlled.  I blame nobody for the poor products of a college education.  What I do say, is that the products of college (students who are apathetic, jaded, depressed, confused, frustrated, etc.) are merely unintended consequences of a traditional form of education.  While the origins of college were probably innovative for the time, and made sense for the time, college in the year 2004, (where the average freshman hasn’t developed the internal-motivation for learning, and the average graduate has no real world understanding of the world because they’ve spent the past 4 years in the college bubble,) is in serious need of remodeling.  We need to look at what purpose college should have today. 

  
  

  And, that’s my question for everyone.  What is the purpose of college in the year 2004.  What should the purpose of college be in the year 2004?  What are the products of college in the year 2004?  What should the products of college be in the year 2004?  Your thoughts, please…

  
  

  Oh…and by the way…for those of you new to my site…I’m leaving South Africa this evening.  It’s 1:20am as i write this, i fly out of Cape Town at 3pm to Johannesburg, then from there to Madrid, and by 3pm on Monday, Eastern Standard Time, I will be at JFK airport, back home, Long Island, New York.  This culminates my 6 wonderful months in South Africa, and essentially rounds up my first year after college.  I still remember blogging back in Nov. about the topics I’m still writing about, and about the excitement I had for going abroad.  It seems like it could have been a few days ago, as it always does, however, I have grown a lot.  I do not even wish to try right now to see how I have changed, and to recount all the things I have done

  
  

  (world’s highest bungy jump, 21-day backpacking trip w/ underprivilaged township kids, leanred to sail, rode an ostrich, went microlighting, lived in Cape Town, went kayak surfing in January, kissed girls from 3 countries (Belfast Ireland, England, and South Africa), went cliff diving, haggled for crafts and painting in African markets, helped a 78-year old woman feed 500 hungry township dogs, spent a day with a gay hypnotic therapist who had his own tv show in Australia, instructed a 7-day Lovelife program (the largest Aids awareness program in S. Africa, possibly the world), learned to lead-rock climb and went bouldering, went to a wine and cheese tasting and got driven home by the kindness of a stranger more sober than I, stayed at a game park where I saw many zebras and giraffes up close and personal and went quad biking around the park, pet a cheetah,  began to follow rugby, learned about the human rights atrocities in Zimbabwe, witnessed some of the most spectacular beaches i have ever seen in my 22 years, learned to roll a kayak, saw penguins, saw traditional Zulu and Xhosa dancing, ate all sorts of traditional South African foods, evacuated a dead man from the mountains, went to my friend’s grandmothers 90th birthday party (just tonight!) and, last but certainly not least, almost completed a book about the need for higher education reform).

  
  

  ok…well, there was a small taste of some of the things i’ve done.  i guess, the point is, while the world never seems to change all that much, as a person, time changes us all.  and i’m proud to say, i haven’t wavered one bit on my life’s philosophy of making the most of every day, and to push the limits of what one person can do.  i’m both scared and excited of where the next 6 months will lead me.

  
  

  anyways…for no charge, (except hopefully about $15 once my book is done and published) i want to offer my services as a “teacher.”  I have no qualifications, except my recent experiences.  You don’t have to pay tuition, but any questions you have about anything, from South Africa culture, to Outward Bound, from backpacking culture, to writing, don’t hesitate to ask.  And keep in mind, any answer I give is only based no my experience, just as the teachings of any teacher are based on their experience alone.  So, I formally begin this class, Thoughts on Life and the World 101, professor Dan Lilienthal.  No grades, no tests, no assignments.  Just the exchanging of ideas between self-motivated learners, where I too am a student, as much as a teacher.

  • 7:37 pm
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